Process for preventing accumulation of solid matter in oil wells, pipe lines and flow lines



PTNT OFFIC HELVIN DE GBOOTE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNIVIENTS, TO TRETOLITE COMPANY, OF WEBSTER GROVES, MISSOURI, A.CORPORATION OF MISSOURI PROCESS FOR PREVENTING AGCUMUIJATION OF SOLIDMATTER IN OIL WELLS, PIPE LINES AND FLOW LINES l l'o Drawing.

This invention relates to a process that is intended to be used toprevent the accumulation of solid matter in oil wells and pipe linesthat are producing or which contain non-cutting oil, or a mixture ofsuch oil and brine, i. e., oil that is either anhydrous or which doesnot have emulsifying properties or a tendency to emulsify while it'istraveling upwardly through the casing of m the well or traveling throughthe flow line.

In many oil wells in which liquid consisting of non-cutting oil or amixture of such oil and water is produced, deposits of paraffin, wax,asphalt, sand, insoluble alkaline earth compounds and other solidmaterials collect in objectionable quantities on the well tubing, on thecasing, on the inside of the strainer and in the Working barrel of theWell pump, thereby causing the production of the oil well to bematerially decreased. Some or all of these materials also accumulate inoil lines or conduits through which liquids of the kind mentionedtravel, such, for example, as surface lines connected to wells, and pipelines through which oil is transported from oil fields. The presence ofthese deposits of solid material necessitates cleaning out the Wells andthe oil lines at more or less frequent intervals, in order to maintainproduction of wells and capacity of flow lines or pipe lines.

I have discovered that such cleaning operations can beeliminated ifliquid comprising non-cutting oil, located at the bottom of asubstantially clean Well or at the entrance of a substantially clean oilline, such as a flow line or pipe line is subjected to such treat-= mentas to cause the undesirable solid materials in said liquid to be held insolution, suspension or dispersion, namely, in a nonflocculatedcondition, so that they will escape from the well or travel through theoil line without liability of becoming deposited on the pumpingequipment in the well, or on the interior of the oil line. Accordingly,I have devised a simple chemical process for keep ing an oil well or anoil line of the kind previously mentioned in operative condition.

My process is restricted to use with wells that are producing liquids ofthe kind described and oil lines through which such liquids areApplication filed December 31, 1926. Serial No. 158,413.

flowing, and the process consists in introducing into the bottom of sucha producing well, or introducing at the entrance of such a flowing oilline a water-soluble or oil-soluble deflocculent agent, consisting of asuitable hydrogenated aromatic or a mixture of two or more suitablehydrogenated aromatics, for causing paraffin, wax, asphalt, sands,inorganic soluble compounds, or other solid materials in the non-cuttingoil or in the water that is produced with'the oil, to be held in anon-fiocculated condition, thereby eliminating the possibility of saidsolid materials becoming deposited at points where they will interferewith the pumping operation or reduce or impede the flow of the oil fromthe well or through the flow line. The term soluble agent, as hereinused, is intended to mean an agent that is soluble wth at least one pfthe liquids with which it comes in conact.

The hydrogenated aromatics which I prefer to use in producing thedeflocculent agent or treating agent contemplated by my proc ess aresuch materials as hydrogenated phenol, hydrogenated napthalene, etc.They may be hydrogenated cresols, or allied bodies. They are sold underthe commercial names of methyl-cyclo-hexanol, hexalintetralin, etc. Ihave found that the simpler modifications of these hydrogenatedaromatics, such as chlorine derivatives or the sulphonic acids, such astetralin sulphonic acid to be as valuable as the unaltered hydrogenatedaromatics.

The introduction of a treating agent of the kind above described into.the bottom of a producing well or at the entrance of a flowing oil linethat is producing or which contains non-cutting oil, resultsin thesuspension 01' dispersion of the paraffin, wax, asphalt, sand, inorganicinsoluble compounds and other objectionable solid materials in the oil,and thus eliminates the possibility of said solid materials becomingdeposited wherethey will interfere with the pumping operation or reduceor impede the flow of the oil through' the oil line. The treating agentcan be introduced into the wellor into the oil line in any suitablemanner, as, for example, by

pouring it down the casing or tubing of a producing well, or by pouringit into a flow-- ing oil line adjacentto the point where the oil entersthe line, it only being necessary to use a very minute quantity of saidtreating agent, on account of the fact that the one function which saidagent is intended to perform is to hold the objectionable solidmaterials in the oil in' solution, suspension or dispersion. Thetreating agent can be used in a concentrated state, or as a solution inoil, or as a solution or suspension in water.

I am aware of the fact that some of the objectionable solid materials ofthe kind above mentioned that accumulate in oil wells and oil lines arecapable of being dissolved by hydrogenated. aromatics, but thischaracteristic of organic materials which collect in oil wells and flowlines is not the determining factor by which it is possible to calculatethe result produced by my process. For example, a large proportion ofthe solid materials that collect in oil wells and oil lines are of aninorganic nature, such asfloating sand, but the treating agentcontemplated by my process has no solvent power for sand, andconsequently, cannot be said to dissolve the inorganic solids in theoil, due to the solvent action of the hydrogenated aromatics.

Furthermore, as my process contemplates using a very minute quantity ofthe treating agent, usually one part of treating agent to from fivethousand to fifteen thousand parts of oil, it is obvious that theefiiciency of the treating agent and the result that is attained by itsuse is not due to its solvent action on the inorganic or organic solidsin the oil.

I am. aware of the fact that United States patent to A. C. Campbell, No.1,513,371, dated October 28, 1924, discloses a process for removingdeposits from pipe lines used for conveying crude oil, that contemplatespassing throu h the pipe line a composition consisting 0 soda ash, salsoda,.sod1um bicarbonate and naphtha mixed with water, so as to dissolvethe sediment and heavy oily matter which'has collected on the innersurface of the pipe line, but the sole function of said srocessis toclean or efiect the removal of eposits from pipe lines that are in adirty condition or partially clogged condition. My process is entirelyis not intended to'be used for the same purpose as the Campbell process,but is not capable of accomplishing the same result as the Campbellprocess. -In my. process the agent that is introduced into a well orinto a' flow line will not dissolve deposits of solid matter that havecollected on the inner surface of the well tubing or flow line, and thusefiect the removal of said deposits. On the contrary, in my process itis necessary to start with a flow line or producing'well that is cleanor substantially free from deposits of sohd matter, and the resultattained by the agent that is introduced into the well or flow assure Afurther distinction between my process that the agent and the Campbellprocess is used by the Campbell process must necessarily be introducedinto a flow line when the line is not being used for conveying crudeoil, due, of course, to the fact that the sole purpose of the process isto clean out the line, whereas, in my process the agent is, in mostinstances, introduced into a well'that is in pumping operation orintroduced into a flow line through which oil is flowin due to the factthat the function performed y' the agent is to keep, hold or maintainthe solid matter in such a condition that it will not adhere to orcollect on the well tubing or flow line, an thus. retardthe travel ofthe liquid through the same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is A process for preventing the accumulation ofsolid matter in an oil well or pipe line,

characterized by introducing into a substantially clean producing wellor oil flowing ling 95 MELVIN DE GROOTE.

difierent, and not only

